Inter’s Perisic snatches last-gasp draw in Milan derby

By Adam Irons - 21/11/2016

Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic scored with almost the last kick of the game to snatch a 2-2 draw against AC Milan in Serie A under new coach Stefano Pioli after their neighbours twice led through Suso in Sunday’s derby.

Perisic turned the ball in at the far post to spare the blushes of his captain Mauro Icardi who had missed two simple chances which could have changed the course of the game.

Antonio Candreva also scored a spectacular goal for Inter who made an encouraging start after Pioli was appointed last week with Frank de Boer having been fired after 85 days.

Milan moved back into third spot level on 26 points with AS Roma, who lost 2-1 to a last-minute penalty at Atalanta but stay second by virtue of a better goal difference. Inter are ninth.

Fourth-placed Lazio, who have 25 points, beat Genoa 3-1.

“My players can sleep well as they showed excellent spirit and gave a good performance, even if they didn’t get the win,” said Milan coach Vincenzo Montella. “I think the glass is half full, because the standings look good from our point of view.”

Inter dominated the first half and should have gone ahead when Antonio Candreva’s mis-hit shot found Icardi unmarked in front of goal but the Argentine, who has never scored against Milan in the derby, completely miskicked the ball.

Milan took advantage in the 42nd minute when Giacomo Bonaventura broke out of his half and found Suso who cut inside his marker and scored with a low shot into the far corner.

Inter levelled eight minutes after the restart when a quick throw-in found Candreva who unleashed an unstoppable shot that flew past Gianluigi Donnarumma from 30 metres.

Former Genoa and Liverpool forward Suso put Milan back in front five minutes later with another superbly taken goal.

Icardi should have levelled minutes later when he got clear of the Milan defence but failed to connect properly and Donnarumma saved.

The final half an hour was a stop-start affair as Milan sat on their lead but Inter grabbed another equaliser from a corner in the 92nd minute.

Jeisson Murillo rose to head the ball on to the far post and Perisic, who had missed several good chances, did the rest.

ROMA SETBACK

Earlier, Roma lost more ground to Juventus, who are now six points clear at the top on 33, when they were sunk by a last-minute penalty in a 2-1 defeat at Atalanta.

Roma dominated the first half in foggy Bergamo and went ahead when Diego Perotti converted a penalty awarded for handball by Rafael Toloi five minutes before halftime.

But they handed the initiative to Atalanta, who levelled when Roma keeper Wojciech Szczesny’s save from a Franck Kessie cross hit Mattia Caldara and flew into the net in the 62nd.

Atalanta, who are fifth on 25 points, continued to pour forward and won the game in the 90th minute when Ivorian teenager Kessie sent Szczesny the wrong way after Leandro Paredes had clipped Alejandro Gomez’s ankle in the area.

Tenth-placed Sampdoria staged a storming fightback with three goals in the final six minutes to beat Sassuolo 3-2, with Colombia forward Luis Muriel scoring twice including the winner from a stoppage-time penalty.

Andrea Belotti scored twice in the last 10 minutes to give Torino, who are seventh, a 2-0 win at basement club Crotone, while Federico Bernardeschi and Josip Ilicic each netted a brace to give Fiorentina a 4-0 win at Empoli in the Tuscany derby.

Bologna defeated Palermo 3-1, leaving the Sicilians one place off the bottom with six points. (Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Toby Davis and Ken Ferris)